This section is intended to provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In modern hydrocarbon drilling and production operations, there is an ever-increasing need to add more sensors and instrumentation to equipment or components at or near the wellhead. However, the installation of additional sensors and instrumentation with subsea hydrocarbon drilling and production operations raises challenges regarding the infrastructure needed to supply power and handle communications to and from these sensors and instrumentation.
More particularly, installing a sensor to a fluid extraction component associated with subsea hydrocarbon drilling and production operations typically requires installation of several sensing components, including the sensor itself, a power supply for the sensor to operate, and a means for collecting data generated by the sensor. Each of these components occupies valuable physical space on the subsea equipment. In addition, there are costs associated with installation of each component, both in terms of labor and capital expenditure. These costs can be significant, particularly where sensors are being retrofitted to the fluid extraction components and labor demands are high. Further, since subsea conditions can be hostile, minimizing the number and size of equipment near a well, such as wires traversing the equipment or external batteries, is a common objective.
Presently, operation of valves, such as valves in a blowout preventer control pod, is inferred from other measurements, but is not available as a direct measurement. Accordingly, there is a need for a sensor assembly which is readily installable on a subsea fluid extraction system and locally powered while minimizing the number and size of additional pieces of equipment required.
The illustrated figures are only exemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in which different embodiments may be implemented.